C.O.W. - #011: Dream/Nightmare Eater - VOTING!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------croovman:
concept: the blind dream eater
he can smell them, he can hear them, but he can't see them, so he tastes them and eats them, to feed his hungry mind.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Shamagim:
concept: After all the wickas( witches) were in danger of being hunted by the church, one of them especialized on bringing fear to people in their dreams, by creating something himself called " Terror haemonculus", this minions were shaped according to the fears of the people they hunted in their dreams, but this fear was becoming the reason of his possible downfall...
People were transforming that fear into action, they wanted the terror to stop and they prove they would destry anything suspicious because of that fear, and the wicka didnt had more control over them, so he created something compleatly different, something that would destroy any will for anything, by consuming the townfolk´s wishes and ambitions...
But the wicka was afraid that a beast like that may hunt him in his own drams, so he turned himself into that beast....So while the beast only will is to consume all the dreams of his surroundings, it would remain invincible to any attack ( because it only exist in the dream world)...while the wicka remains the body as his own desfigured head..sleeping.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------possessed:
concept: The true servants of Nightmares. These creatures always stay close, but undetected, to human settlements. When the humans are sleeping they turn their attention to what's going on inside their victims mind. If a Trance vassel succesfully 'connects' to a dream it will start to clear all activity within that dream until the dreamer is left in a trance-like state from which they cannot awaken. Then, the vassel creates a special dream which induces sleepwalking. The poor victims will always walk straight towards the vassals hidingplace. Not satisfied with devouring their victims dreams, the vassals consume the hapless human.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Dougbot:
concept: The Alucinorbestia wander in the dreamscape between consciousness and unconsciousness. Their long legs help them wade through the milky dream lake that lies deep within the combined minds of all people. Their long tongues dragging deep within that lake, absorbing the dark dreams that lie below the surface of the lake. Feeding off nightmares, the Alucinorbestia have taken grotesque appearances that do not represent their true benevolent nature.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Oregano:
concept: The Eater of Dreams dwells in the Nether-world between our conscious and uncounscious minds, manifesting in the twilight hours before dawn to steal our dreams away. Once collected the dreams' energies are consumed by the Eater, who leaves their twisted, corrupted shells scattered like brittle leaves in the barren landscape of the Nether.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------salaryman:
concept: Dutch Gelderland Gjooba.
Lolloping across the nighttime landscape like a drunk uncle at a wedding, the Gelderland Gjooba feasts on the nocturnal dreams and nightmares of the populace. Towering at 200 ft, yet with the brain of a midget fool, the Gjooba brays for sustenance. While all nighttime fancies are fodder to the Gjooba, he prefers dreams of hope and nightmares of despair. Completely hairless with vestigial knife and fork, the Gjooba is prone to melancholia and late mornings.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------redehlert:
concept: The Donald: Devourer Of Nightmares And Lucid Dreams
A totally benign creature with no evil plot to take over your mental facilities - it just has a thirst to screw your mind, so to speak.
Extremely small and easily mistaken for noseeums buzzing around your head whilst you sleep, the Donald lands to feed once it sees you enter into a state of REM. The Donald…smart cookie that it is, realizes that REM is prime time to suck up those mindscape morsels. The Donald can be beneficial to you by erasing nightmares as they occur whilst feeding or it can be a total bitch when you try to remember that awesome dream when you wake up but it's 'poof'…gone…into the Donald!
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Bretton:
concept: Hannelore
The Hannelore is a creature that is reoccurrent to young Timothy Higgins' dreams. Timmy knows nothing about this creature except that it's name is Hannelore and that it's appearance signals the dreams' end as it's mosquito-like mouth pierces dream-Timmy's frontal lobe.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------bluefooted:
concept: The Nightmare Eater - On nights when the moon tints the clouds red, the creature lurks above unsuspecting hamlets, feeding from the bad dreams it cultivates.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Uziel:
concept: the deadly night squirt
The Dreamdweller
This creature lives inside the dimension of our nightly fantasies also known as dreams and nightmares. There it lives of the essence of fear and love. Because fear is much more powerful (except for wet dreams) it stimulates nightmares by spreading darkness and disrupting our imagination. This also the reason why it’s so difficult to get out of a bad dream. Due to the disruptions it’s difficult to wake up. We first have to gather enough energy to escape from the dreamworld. Result: waking up suddenly, shaking and confused.
So think again when they say:
“Don’t worry, it’s just a bad dream. Go back to sleep…”
Sweet dreams
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Pupil:
concept: The creature is only able to feast on the dreams of the youngest human children (below 28 months old) because the elder humans posses the brain functions to repel the mental manipulation, and the physical ability to remove the creatures from their living space. Though easy to spot, these creatures are often ignored by even the most attentive parent due to their superficial similarity to a baby’s mobile.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------leckronium:
concept: Bobb the Dream Eater
Ever wake up in the middle of a dream just to find yourself face down in a drool soaked pillow? Yeah, of course you haven't. Well for those of you who have, you have been a victim of Bobb the Dream Eater. Bobb likes to sneak into your room when your sound asleep and wrap you up in your blanket just like a lollipop then feast on your sweet dreams and sour nightmares. He doesn't eat you and has never really hurt anyone. After he's done he returns you to your place of rest to move on to his next tasty treat. Occasionally Bobb will leave a little to loudly and startle his victim to consciousness but by then all has returned to normal and the only thing that is left is a drool soaked pillow with your face in it.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Carnifex:
concept: The Dream Eater
Or brainbug.This critter crawls into your bedroom when you're sleeping and locates you via his little hairs on the belly,which feel the vibrations.His instinct then leads him to your mouth,which it cracks open with his powerful jaws.After that, he inserts a tongue-like apparatus into it and drives it into your brain to feed of the neural energy that is generated by your dreams. After he is finished he crawls away to either rest in some cellar or other dark places.When being attacked, he uses the hairs on his back to inject some drugging substance into the agressor. This usually grants enough time for the brainbug to escape. Reports of little children jumping from trees and breaking their legs because they believed they could fly are often found when doing research on the brainbug.In late of October,the male specimen goes into a mating frenzy and impregnates atleast 5 females,only to die the very same night from exhaustion.The females themselves are devoured by the offspring from the inside.The brainbug is the main reason we often wake up with a dry mouth and can't remember shit about what we dreamt the night before.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------kingrobot:
concept: Lesser Dream Eater (Vorosomnio Ereptorus Parvus) - (O. Coleoptera Imaginarus)
Often found in the bedding of disturbed mental patients, this foul insect feeds on the psychic energy created by nightmares and troubling dreams. It grows to around 1" long and 1" tall when fully gorged. It uses the fearsome mandibles on it's underbelly to consume the negative energies of nightmares. Intricate movements of its appendages cause a temporary psychic vortex to be generated that act like a magnet to psychic energy. An electrical glow is often seen during feeding. The creature feeds by attaching itself to the head of its prey and making a small incision in the skin to disrupt the human magnetic field.
The upper body of the Dream Eater has several adaptations to assist in the collection of dream energies. Six arm-like appendages are used to grip onto hair and clothing while feeding. The head features 5 pairs of eye each with distinct functions those being low light, fast and slow movement, infra red spectrum and wide angle vision. The feathery fern like antennae sense tiny movements in the air as well as the chemical composition of the air. Finally the large red structures are actually used for hearing. They are very sensitive drum like structures which pick up even tiny sonic vibrations. All of these senses are used to detect when a victim is about to enter a phase of disturbed REM sleep. The rudimentary wing structures are of no use as the insect cannot fly. It is thought these are used for mating displays or to intimidate rivals.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------MIKECORRIERO:
concept: Dreamers
The Nightmare eater or otherwise known as "Dreamers" walk amoung our world fiesting on our dreams. Dreamers cannot be seen for they live in a subconscious environment that exist only in our minds. When we sleep at night and our dream state takes over, this is sort of a "door way" for the Dreamers to enter through. Once this happens, we lose all control over our dreams, and horrific images start to take shape turning the dream into what is known as a "Nightmare". There are cases when a nightmare may cause death, heart attack, excessive sweats and racing pulse. This is the Dreamers ultimate goal, to tear your soul from your body so that once you enter thier world, they may feast on your thoughts, your dreams, your mind...taking everything that is precious to you and torturing you to the very limit of insanity until there is nothing left.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Matt Dixon:
concept: Humperdink's Doodah
Named for the neurosurgeon who first discovered this tiny parasite while operating on an infected patient, these tiny creatures live on the surface of the human brain. The details of their behaviour is not fully understood, but these organisms send out nerve-like tendrils from their bodies which appear to interface with synapses in the brain where the creature somehow feeds on neurotransmitter activity. The process seems to have no affect on the host, with one notable exception - they no longer dream during sleep - this has led to the Doodah's nickname as the 'Eater of Dreams' and may go some way to explain it's contented expression.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Helzon:
concept: Plum Island Experiment:A20432D
Dateline: 06/11/2007
Internal Memo: The Council On Responsible Genetics
It has recently come to our attention through the efforts of a tenacious field agent that the disgraced former governor of Massachusetts, R. J. Geralds may have netted a sizable financial windfall from those connected to the Plum Island Genetic Research facility. It was after all the governor's controversial policy of exporting the state's most violent criminals to a maximum security facility in Virginia. There it was known that several inmates committed savagely inhuman violent acts and others committed suicide while guards watched. For many months the story was simply a tale of cruelty until the final piece of the puzzle came in the form of a disgruntled researcher, James Fichmiller. Fichmiller claims that the heads of Plum Island in concert with their counterparts in the NIH worked with the knowing consent of the governor's office to conduct research experiments on the convicts. One such experiment was called A20432D, nicknamed the "pacifier". An organism that was able to "phase" through the human physiology, namely the skull to nestle between the lobes of the brain where it would regulate the mental function of the subject during sleep, by "eating dreams and nightmares". However, whatever benefits there were were quickly offset by loss of memory, self identity, and touch with reality. Soon it was found that to further sustain itself during waking hours, the creature was slowly sapping the nutrients from the brain and nervous system, thus causing the outbursts and brutal ends.
It is our position to forward any and all relevant materials to the DoJ, Internal Revenue, and state's attorney's office of Massachusetts for further exploration and termination of this project and to also suspend any other efforts to export prisoners to surrounding states and territories.
Proceed with any and all discretion. This means no media coverage or leaks, discussions outside of this building are prohibited, and destruction of all internal memos are mandatory.
Harold Milton
Chairman of the Council on Responsible Genetics
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------BlkCelebration:
concept: The Chupa-Sueños
Originating from Sinaloa, Mexico, this microscopic creature enters through the ear and sucks the dreams of young children every night until they become teenagers. The Chupa-Sueños can only sustain itself on "pure" dreams, therefore limiting its victims to children.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------vaughany boy:
concept: alucinor esum
A legendary beast that sustains itself on the dreams of humans. This creature approaches a target in the dead of night and ingests it's subconsious thought while they sleep. This animal can survive on both good and bad dreams and interestingly, every dream they ingest has a physical effect on the creature. As such, an Esum that eats good dreams will become a happy looking, cute creature, one with a taste for nightmares will become a horrific monster. It has been theorised that the creature also effects future dreams of the victim. The link that it uses to take the dream energy also gives the person an image of the creature that can reveal itself in future dreams, giving more opportunies for the creature to feed. This animal does not kill of harm the victim in any physical way, and everyone has a unique apprearance that is ever changing. A very cunning beast, they have also been known use spiritual "Dream Catchers" To prevent excess dreams escaping.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Fozzybar:
concept: PPB#231
The PPB#231 (which means "ParaPsychologyBeing #231" - a norwegian task force of Parapsychologists catalog the beings they encounter during their researches since many years, they don't give names to the beings, just adding the count-number) was spotted with a special technological equipment the Parapsychologist use to make pictures and movies of the outer dimensional beings.
It can be found around sleeping humans...not visible for the human eye, they feed on dreams of humans. The scientists observed that some parts of this being morph into components of the dreams they consume (on the picture you can see a nightmare eating PPB#231, since the disgusting outpours and scary impressions...). So the appearance of this being changes radically depending on the dream the human has. One of the most interesting recording was a PPB#231 feeding on a boys dreams who watched for hours continously the Tele-Tubbies-Show before falling asleep...
The PPB#231 uses some kind of mind-reader tentacles to "read" the dreams and transfer them into consumeable energy-form...
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------young paddy1:
concept: an hourish of faffing with a big pink thing with some fluff on it which turned into a sheep.
After they've been counted into a dream by an insomniac brain trying to get to sleep, the dream muncher sheep just chews down on the communal field of dream generated grass, it constantly gives off a mixture of brokendown visions and illusions, which will meld together to become a future dream.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------0kelvin:
concept: Transcript of the 2028 educational film Dreamfeeder: Miracle of Science
DR SCIENCE
Well hello Billy, I didn't see you there. I'm glad you're here, because today we're going to talk about Dreamfeeders.
BILLY
Oh boy Dr. Science, that sounds swell! But what's a Dreamfeeder?
DR SCIENCE
Good question Billy! The Dreamfeeder is a miracle creature designed by the government using highly advanced science! Using all the latest advances in genetic engineering and neurobiology, or "brain science" to the layperson, the government created this wonder of man's ingenuity to make your life worth living again!
You see, when the liberals began the Great Riots of 2012, nearly tearing apart the moral fabric of this great country we live in, the government knew they had to do something drastic. So they invoked the 36th Amendment and created the Dreamfeeder! Order was restored, and mankind has enjoyed a golden age of productivity and prosperity ever since!
BILLY
How does it work?
DR SCIENCE
Good question Billy! The Dreamfeeder comes into your house at night, while you sleep, through the hatch installed in every home. Remember Billy, removing or otherwise obstructing the hatch is a federal offense! They then climb into your bed and begin to suckle on an area of your forehead we scientists refer to as your "Mind Teat." Through this the Dreamfeeder sucks out all of your wasteful thoughts and unproductive emotions, such as ambition, lust, anger, sadness, humour, hope, and most importantly, love! You are left to wake up in a state of wonderfully productive complacency. All thanks to our friend, the Dreamfeeder!
BILLY
Wow Dr. Science, Dreamfeeders are cool! Where can I learn more about them?
DR SCIENCE
Now Billy, that sounds an awful lot like curiosity which is not one of the six state-sanctioned emotions. You wouldn’t want me to alert the Regulator Squad, would you?
BILLY
No sir!
TOGETHER
Hahaha! *wink*
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Craig Houghton:
concept: The Dream-Eater
This disturbingly common creature frequents his victims with ease and regularity. Those with chronic nightmares may do well to keep their windows shut. You see, when this critter unfurls his feeding tube and dangles it about, the little glowing fingers do a dance upon the brow. He feeds upon the very best of dreams, like sugarplums and games, but in their stead he leaves the worst, like hopelessness and pain.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Sapphire:
concept: Although dreams can be the source of inspiration, creativity and hidden passions, they can also manifest as terrible nightmares. This creature is a Dream Guardian; each human being has their own personal guardian that takes on a special form for each individual. When he feeds, catching our dreams, we have a deep, restful sleep. Sometimes the creature can become too active, and this is when writer's and artist's block appears, and sometimes they are driven from their post, leaving nightmares to flood the mind.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------RaneValderez:
concept: Simply Called The Carniverous, after Ambrose Bierce's Definition in the Devils Dictionary, "Addicted to devouring the timorous vegitarian, his hiers and assigns."(pg23) This creature travels and lives with families for generations to feed off of their dreams and leave them with feeling of dread that spread across days until the children become teenagers, eventually causing the horrible and unescapable disease known as teen angst.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Gloklund:
concept: Dapadula
Dapadula, the Eater of Dreams and Nightmares. A glutton for fresh images, ideas and emotions that occur during certain stages of one's sleep. Seen here perusing a menu for a tasty mind morsel of maybe a dreamy damsel or a terror filled adolescent in mid-slumber.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Stokes:
concept: Ralph Ellington *AkA Dream Eater* *AkA Whoopie Dropper*
This freaky sucker feeds off of our intimate sexual dreams. As if stealing some of our favorite dreams wasnt bad enough, the sick bastard replaces them with a steamy threesome dream starring Whoopie Goldberg, Carla from Cheers, and yourself. If you've allready had this dream then I'm afraid either youv'e been a victim of Ralph Ellington's evil ploy or your name is Ted Danson. Either way, Im sorry.
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wow tough choice again...and yet again i settle for helzon...because this time, he got everything right.
was close call between him and redehlert though.
fozzy would have come in second,along with 0kelvin.
on a conceptual level,shamagim's was probably the most interesting to read.

Carnifex : dude...cheque is in the mail...was that 60 Euros or 65?...I forget. Just kiddin!...I appreciate the vote...honestly.

I also appreciate immensely those that were kind enough to give praise, crit and advice. You have my deepest respect.

This week was by far sheer madness to try and figure out who got the nod...but ultimately I went with Dougbot. I felt that it was a screamingly tight piece. The form and function followed seamlessly with the description.
But it cannot pass without mention:redehlert you killed me with that illo man..just beautifully rendered. A fantastic blend of structure, anatomy with a hit of humor. Just incredible. And if I could have voted for two you and doug would have gotten it bro.Matt Dixon, leckronium, MIKECORRIERO, Fozz, Gloklund, and Stokes You guys turned my brain inside out with your outstanding skills. I loved the originality of each of your creatures and the care that went into rendering them.

croovman: I think this piece would have been great if you had left it b&w and build up your area of focus with your penwork. The Crayola crayon feel on the shadow and body are really weakening things.

shamagim: I like the surreal concept here. The form and experimental nature of the anatomy is cool as well. Liked the way your rendered the flesh...but I would have liked to have seen the limbs a bit thicker simply because they would be hefting this huge mass about..also the back legs seem a bit incomplete. The description is a bit muddled and a bit of a tough read.

possessed: I am really digging the thought behind this creature. However, I think there are some anatomy issues going on that need a bit of ironing out. The upper right hand(viewers p.o.v.) is dangerously close to blending into the hand below it...a thicker line or different pose altogether could push that out toward the viewer. Perhaps a bit more time put into laying your creature like some quick thumbnails would help you work through to a better pose.

dougbot: You got my vote dude...don't know how much more I can say...
This is clean, tight, and kickin..just how I like my women... (j/k)
If I were to cave to that faction that says..."well come up with something to critique and not just ass pat..." I would very quietly say...maybe a bit more detail on the joints...they are going to get alot of use in a creature that is this tall and gangly.

Oregano: I love the kinetic feel you got in this piece by turning it on the angle that you did and not just leave it straight up and down. There is a great sense of flow and movement that I can really sink my teeth into. The way you used the light to focus attention to the hand and his armpit area is really well done. The sinister quality is great as well. The things that really hold me back though are the ambiguities in the mouth area and the torso. I'm not quite sure what's goin on in terms of what it is, fur?, cloth? aether?.. and one other thing before I forget..the left arm (viewers p.o.v.) seems a bit too far back..and reads (to me at least) as nearly missing.

Salaryman: Unequivocally unique.

redehlert: Said it all above dude...love the new layout vs. the old one. I think the only small thing would be the guys head in regards to the lower part of his jaw...but that's really picking on something damn near inconsequential.

Bretton: I like the storybook feel that this has.
The eyes on the Hannelore though seem like flat black circles..neither rounding out or caving in....perhaps a bit of shine on them? And the spine seems like magnified stubble. Maybe some variance in size and shape would give it a bit more solidity.

bluefooted: Tight description and very well done in terms of achieving that 16th-17th century feel. I also sense a bit of William Michael Kaluta..in terms of the color wash and ink. The composition is great and I can almost imagine this as some sort of image for a twisted Tarot deck. Great work!

Uziel: I like the dreary feel to this piece. Yet, perhaps a bit more tonal range would really give your creature a greater roundness and dimensionality. A greater sense of gravis. There is no really strong light source here...but maybe one could imagine that the dreamscape could have one...not necessarily white or yellow..but something that would complement the dreary feel.

Pupil: This is extraordinary. Really enjoying the rich variety of tone and shape. The creature itself is nicely worked into the piece. There is though a bit of tonal similarity between the lower part of the creature and the bed frame that makes it really blend into it rather than stand out...maybe just a tweak here or there.

leckronium: This piece is a riot of personality. Has a great lighthearted feel to it. And the backstory really just ties it all together. If I were to tug at one small thing it would be to maybe hit the lollipop in the back with a bit of shine..as though it were the appetizer to the dreams coming from Bob's victims' mind. Excellent job!!

Carnifex: I see where you are going with this piece...and can appreciate the toned background. Maybe something to keep in mind though is the layout. If you check redehlert's ...he uses the "Donald" itself to pull your eye down into the piece and onto other areas of interest. Because right now..the one view of your brainbug..and the other supporting spot illos look disconnected and just totally separate. It would be cool to let the main figure segway into the other supporting illos and draw your eye naturally to each.

kingrobot: Originality oozing out of every pore of this one dude!!! I don't know how COW or for that matter CA.org has made it this far without you......honestly. Can you ever forgive me??!?... I have seen the error of my cliché ways and bow before the utter magnificence of your omnipotent concept and rendering skills and peerless singularity of thought. Hear that??!..I'm snapping my Wacom tablet over my knee...and chewing on my Wacom pen...hmm..nummy..never thought it would taste like this..needs a bit of salt maybe...kinda sorta reminds me of chicken.

MIKECORRIERO: I am a sucker for sinister...and this fits the bill to a friggin T. Nice kinetic pose...it really suggests movement. Great use of primary and secondary lighting. Even the texturing is sweet. But like kingrobot said...the right arm is getting totally lost against the body. In fact it took a bit for me to make sense of it. Perhaps a different angle or a bit more contrast in tone to define that separation.

BlkCelebration: I see you've toned the colors down since Evil Easter Creature...I like the sense of movement and the flow...this creature doesn't look as stiff and over controlled as your other entries. Nicely done!

vaughany boy: Not trying to bust your stones man, just trying to be constructive....but I think you are really wanting to rocket to the other side of the galaxy and you haven't mastered the math to get you there...yet. I think that if you took this a step at a time..and work with anatomy and getting familiar with the shapes and forms first....then build it up to lighting and shading...then putting that into composition...then build from there with experimentation...and before you know it..you will be cranking out some stellar work...but for now...really getting your figures as technically tight as possible should be the goal.

Fozzy: I think this piece should be in Juxtapose. This work just merges right in with that funky style.
Yet, your boy is packed with everything but the kitchen sink...in terms of add ons and parts. Perhaps a bit fewer..but that's up to you.
There are some anatomical issues here that are a touch confusing..
The tentacle on the right side ..the smaller one, disappears rather quickly behind the flesh tube..and should pop out on the other side of it..or if it is part of the larger tentacle.. then the larger tentacle is actually off.
And the right side symmetry of legs is off...that thin leg in the middle perhaps should be more forward of the larger leg instead of reaching behind itself. I get the feeling that you wanted to vary the legs to give it a feeling of walking..but..it just looks a bit wonky.. Overall...though..great work.

young paddy_1: Man you put a new wrinkle in my brain with the word "faffing"... Interesting concept here.. Perhaps it's been said..but the colors are really intense. And the two shafts of lighter colored dream grass look as though they are coming out of this creatures nostrils. I gotta hand it to ya though...the texturing and lighting on the zits? are great!

0kelvin: Description killed me...nearly wet meself. Great comp lighting, and style!! Probably could have done without the micro shween. But funny add on nonetheless. Beside the hair...the only crit I would have is that her head..seems to be resting too rigidly on top of the pillow...it doesn't seem as though she has any weight...and thus does not sink into it. The pillow is too smooth..no wrinkling of fabric..or indentations that would usually be expected. And the blanket seems to be just a stark white institutional type...perhaps if it had some sort of patterning...it would look more individualized. On the whole though...Outstanding!

Craig Houghton: Scoped your website...and I get the feeling that creature concept is a bit of a new avenue that you are wanting to explore.
I like the value range on the colors...but what is bothering me is the overall structure of the creature..and the p.o.v you've choosen. I get the whole "surreal" idea..but lumping incongruous shapes together and try to force the viewer to make sense of them..is really challenging here. In other words...where does this thing begin..and where does it end. I get the sense that thing in the middle is the head...it looks rather like a huge leaking bat dong. And in terms of the p.o.v. perhaps something more 3/4ish would be a bit more dynamic than trying to work the hell out of dead on profile.

Sapphire: I like the idea...something between a spirit animal and a Patronus...The filament behind it has a kind of spirograph/dreamcatcher feel. The ghost like translucency is cool...and I would venture to say that perhaps you could have let the filaments continue through the creature but warping as well..so it has a more definitive feel of mass warping the image that is returning to the eye.

RaneValderez: Just needing more time with this one...

Gloklund: You know..for some reason I don't care that it looks like a goblin or troll or orc..because the personality in this piece just friggin rocks...comes so damned close to a JoBeSu in all the right ways.

Stokes: Great rendering...the comp and angle are fantastic...
A couple of things though...The victim looks a bit too tense rigidly posed, and not as though he's asleep. And somehow the description reads humorous and lighthearted..but then you have something that looks like it's sucking his brain out through his hair follicles.
But really solid work.

That's it...my fingers are bleeding...and have worn off the letters on my keyboard...not to mention I think I have a bit of constipation from eating my Wacom pen...*urp*...damn...repeats..
Cheers all!

I'll spend more time on my next entry, that's a promise.
Thnx for having me on the poll.
I had a real tough time choosing between Shamagim and MIKECORRIERO.
I really like the style and coloring from the latter but the former has a great concept and the creature just looks very original and gruesome. Though I was the colors were a tad more saturated. Voted for Shamagim.

I voted for MIKECORRIERO
I loved the color scheme (i think your entry inspired me to add a green light to mine )...cool concept plus great unique design on the creature, last but not least nice presentation on the cool, stylish background...love it!

My, my, my....so many good pieces to choose from.
I'm presenting here my final selections - there are 6 total, and then I'll state which one I voted for.
In no particular order:

Dougbot - great color choices - I feel extremely small and at the mercy of this creature. Lighting is very impressive too. Has a 3D feel to it, even though it's totally 2D. The bends in the limbs, the teeth, even the sulci and gyri of the brain mass is perfect. The 'eye' reminds me of the third eye aka pineal body, so it seems even more plausible. I would have loved to have seen it wading through the dream lake - from this perspective and size, my guess is that the lake isn't very deep....

Sapphire - superb improvement with this piece - those limbs and face seem extremely solid. The lines with flashes/glints of light are excellent touches allowing my eye to float along and end up at your creature. The atmospheric bottom 1/5 looks great and smokey. The smaller version is impressive too, but was curious about the color shift to the yellow/cream. The 'tail' is on the same visual plane as the forelimbs even though I know it is at the back - perhaps this can be pushed back further somehow.

Blkcelebration - completely believable creature - I can imagine this thing diffusing through the eardrum to continue on deeper into the brain by way of various nerve roots (yes, I can write down which two I'm thinking of in case you need to know).... The colors get me as do the smokey transitions . I still get wrapped up with that bright spot between the front limbs and wish it wasn't there, but still, a gorgeous work. Compositionally, there is this strong 'gray area' shaped like a triangle in the upper left half. This is formed by the cyan streak and the creature - my eye rests here and doesn't know where to go....may be nice to see a different composition employed. I see how you executed your composition, but still...just a bit much emptiness there.

Leckronium - I LMAO with this one and I STILL do. The embedded textures on the body work for me, but I can see the pushing of value a bit more. It's the damn pose (creature and 'treat'), drool, pillow and lollipop that just make it work so well. The background has a good color range but the 'noise' seems to be a bit much in MHO. Reflected light is tending to be almost as strong as the primary light source...close, but not equal. I can see it being toned down a little bit more and also beef up the core shadows in certain areas.

Helzon - what can I say, you really made it happen this week and I'm certain you're going to get a boat load of votes. I really enjoy looking at the creature - the eyes are my favs and I do like the streak lighting. BTW, did you mean this creature rests between the 'lobes of the brain' or the right and left hemishperes? By lobes, there's more than two, so pardon my interst there...my background gets me in trouble sometimes. Also, now I can see you starting to put color in because you have fleshed out the lighting, focus, and tonal ranges for this piece. I also like the atmospheric backdrop. One crit - concept copy is way too long for my taste. In fact, a lot of the winners I end up choosing have a small paragraph that sums it all up. I don't know why it's like that for me, it just is.

Bluefooted - this is a rich piece with great composition, focus, variation and even feels like a period piece. I totally dig that it sucks up dreams of everything - human, horse, and I swear I saw a bat and a butterfly in there....an inspiring piece that I'd love to see more of! You didn't over render and it maintains like work, but damn...so cool.

Crap....so, who to vote for. Well, I'm giving props to Blkcelebration this go around. I wish I had your understanding of intense color. Bluefooted was my numero dos.

Peace and chicken grease.
D

There is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "i" in meat pie. Meat is the anagram of team...~Shaun "Shaun of the Dead"http://www.cognitionstudio.com

MIKECORRIERO - Great looking creature, and I like the concept you've written too. If I had to crit, I'd say that throwing lots of horns, teeth and claws into a design is a shortcut to a cool looking end result that someone with your skill perhaps didn't need to take but it does look cool, so who cares?

Pupil - I really like the idea, and the pic is very creepy. It's also a bit blurry. I think a few well placed hard edges in there would make a big difference.

bluefooted - What a beautiful illustration. Reminds me of Edmund Dulac and Kay Nielsen's work. Lovely as it is, I'd have liked to see something a bit more inventive in the creature's design or the written concept.

redhelert - Strong contender for my vote for the diagrammatic image and the cool concept. ( I have no idea who or what Hoovermatic is / are. )

Dougbot - Love it. Your next COW is ' creature without glowing, saturated features to contrast against the muted tones used elsewhere in the beautifully rendered concept. '

Salaryman - I'm a total fanboy. All your stuff has a strong whiff of class ( or is it garlic? ) - this one is no exception and your wonderful descriptions put the rum-soaked cherry on the heavily-brandied cream of your artwork. Delicious.

Oregano - I like it, Shane. The pic seems a little soft to me, but I guess it's meant to be that way. There's something unsettling about the composition, too - if it's intentional ( and I'm guessing it is, as you seem to use the same device on some of your CoC art ), then it certainly works well to give the creature a disturbing edge.

Stokes - I think basing your concept in humour is a cheap way to avoid putting in any real effort, but that was DAMN funny so what do I know? That's right. Nothing. Oh, the creature looks great, too!

0kelvin - Fantastic way to present your concept, and what a leap in your painting! Nice one..!

Gloklund - Great illustration, but a weak concept. That's a generic goblin / troll / imp / orc holding a menu, not a new and exciting 'dream eater' creature. I'm guilty of many obvious or boring interpretations of COW topics myself, so I feel like I know what I'm talking about here..! Really is a great illustration, though.

Fozzybar - How did you come up with that?! At first I thought it must be recreational hallucinogens, then I realised it might be stress and sleep deprivation from looking after the COW all these weeks! It's not the prettiest concept, but it's certainly the most original, and that's what the COW is all about. Great job. You get my vote.

Hey Matt - thanks for the comment!
BTW, 'Hooverphonic' is a band - here's the link to their discography:Hooverphonic web site
Listen to the first song called Autoharp - when you listen to it, let me know if you pick up any similarities between the name you suggested and that which is in the song..."Dr. Walter Doodah...."
Hooverphonic is known for a few tunes like: Renaissance Affair (VW commercial) and Battersea. At any rate, I found the similarity to be most humerous thus my insessant rambling.

Bluefooted - thanks for the vote (just in case I didn't mention this in my last post)!

Cheers!
D

There is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "i" in meat pie. Meat is the anagram of team...~Shaun "Shaun of the Dead"http://www.cognitionstudio.com

many great creatures this round, no doubt... but how many of these things look like generic creatures? think about it.

too many of these designs could be applied to any dark, sinister creature contest. i might add that no one opted for a lighter aspect to this contest either.

what mr. absolute zero here did, however, was incorporate a victim into his concept. i think that's the key to this contest. you can call it a dream eater but unless you see him doing what he does best, how can you tell?

I voted for bluefooted, though I think Gloklund is one of the very few who went for something a little different, and I like that.salaryman, Bretton and BlkCelebration all have really unique style that I also like very much.
I'm a real sucker for atmospheres like in bluetoothed's drawing.

in general, I like for a subject to reach a little further, beyond the obvious and overly used concepts- and if using such a concept, I like it to, at the least, be used in such a way that it is still original.

Fozzybar- I'll take that into account, thanks.

Helzon- I might've handled it differently if the subject didn't involve dreams and nightmares. I had "surreal" and "psychedalic" in mind while I was drawing and other than that, I tend to draw pretty fast and sketchy so sometimes I don't mind the little details too much. in any case I've taken your and fozzy's advice, thanks a lot.

MIKECORRIERO, Helzon, croovman- thanks for the comments, I really do appreciate it. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Matt Dixon- Yeah I hear ya. My original idea was very similar to salaryman's and bluefooted with a creature looming over a small sleepy village, lifting the roof off of a single house, and with its long snout sucking up the dreams of its inhabitants. And after seeing that these guys had similar ideas I choked and decided not to continue it for this contest. So after thinking too much about it and running out of time I came up with what you see. Oh well, better luck next time. Thanks for the crit though.

Fungi- Thanks for that vote you threw my way, I'm pretty shocked you even considered me. I figured your taste would lean towards something more original in design, but thank you nonetheless.

Voting was pretty tough, I liked alot of these this week. I think i'm gonna go with 0kelvin though, his story made me laugh and it was a pretty cool creature too.

Here are the crits from Kingrobot. Hope you like em...oh? you don't?...Meh...

croovman - I actually like the underlying sketch - he has a nice face! But please stop using crayons...how about some nice watercolour washes...Shamagim - A lot of black going on here. Maybe overpowers the image but a nice texture to the skin.possessed - I quite liked this little fellow regardless of what others may have thought about him - The iridescent effect on the eye is very nice. Dougbot - Nice legs. You sure know how to make those flourecent colours work for you.Oregano - Nice angle and etherial feeling about this fellow. He does seem to be missing an arm. Nice brainbulge.salaryman - Yam Yam indeed. Excellent micropenis.redehlert - Lovely illustrative style, but I think I prefered the original version you posted.Bretton - Bold colour choices. I think the pencilwork on the dreamer is better than that on the Hannelore. The shading seems very flat on the tail.bluefooted - Fantastic epic fary tale styling. Lovely watercolour effect.Uziel - Nice enough sketch but the image doesn't "pop" enough for me. Not enough contrast so feels a little flat.Pupil - Nice concept. The angles of the bed and those of the creature feel uncomfortable. It's like an Escher optical illusion.leckronium - I went out with a girl who looked like that. A little two dimensional perhaps but nice all the same.Carnifex - Doesn't look finished to me. Could have done with a bit more work.kingrobot - Shit. Colours too saturated. Another one of those insect/lobster hybrids that seem to be everywhere. And he only put a black line around it because everyone else did.MIKECORRIERO - Bingo! another insect/lobster hybrid. Image looks a little flat / two dimensional. The arm reaching out towards us is lost in the confusion of the body. Bonus points awarded for having a stripey penis.Matt Dixon - Lovely colour scheme. Looks a bit like a jobbie. A happy blue jobbie. When I grow up I want to be Matt Dixon.Helzon - Quite a nice insect/lobster hybrid. The front arm appendage thing is a bit confusing. It's form does not convey it's function. A couple of dabs of subtle colour might have brought this one to life.BlkCelebration - Quite abstract but a very pleasant colour scheme. Nice painterly technique.vaughany boy - A bit sketchy still. I would have liked to see more colour in the actual creature.Fozzybar - A bit too much going on. Too many limbs and tentacles. Difficult to judge the position of some of the upper appendages due to a lack of depth of field. Verging on the insect / lobster combo but with added octopus.young paddy1 - Baaa! Baaa! Hello Flossie! I want to burst those zits. Could do with a more restrained colour pallete. See Mr Dixon after school.0kelvin - I really like the rendering of the creature. His skin looks very translucent. His eyes remind me of Marty Feldman . Bonus points are also awarded for a sneaky micropenis.Craig Houghton - Is that a insecty hybrid thingy I see before me? Nice rendering but image is ruined by all of the vogonesque poetry. Points deducted for the HUGE DRIPPING PENIS (only micropenises are allowed.) Sapphire - Thank goodness! If I see another insect / lobster hybrid I think I will flip the fuck out. I love the transparent ghost-like quality captured here. I also like the curly details on the legs. The colours are nice too. Good job!RaneValderez - Is that cheese? with holes?Gloklund - A really nice entry. Unfortunately it won't win because it has nothing to do with insects or lobsters. Also fails due to a lack of micropenis where one could have been so easily added. Nice sense of humour and nicely painted.Stokes - AAAAAAARGH! *FLIPS OUT* (nicely painted though - good colour, nice background.)

And my vote goes to....Me! No one likes coming last but everyone likes a micropenis.

"Originality oozing out of every pore... I don't know how...CA.org has made it this far without you...I...bow before the utter magnificence of your omnipotent concept and rendering skills and peerless singularity of thought." - Helzon (RIP dude)

I voted for Sapphire. I really like it's a blurry dream like state that the creature is in, it really reminds me alot about dreams, like when I'm dreaming about a certain girl, and I can't make out her face, and I really want to, as hard as I try it doesn't happen. The colors are great it does really represent a dreamlike scape, and it's not overdone either. Good job Sarah! Washington representing.

this one's awesome. i love the scientific illustration, and the concept was very similar to the idea i had. unfortunately i had a busy week and wasn't able to finish (or even nearly finish) what i had in mind. i'll leave a more in depth crit and some comments on other pieces later.

I'm voting for bluefooted...I'm just absolutely enthralled and enchanted by his entry. I can't exactly put my finger on what I love so much about it...it gives me a slight feeling of deja vu though, like I'm reminded of something from childhood...something gooood. great great work.

Helzon - Man, I'm so happy this came together for you. Your linework was great, seemed as if you started to stray down a fuzzy path with your initial rendering, but you scrapped it, started over, and really nailed it. I can only assume these recent tutorials have helped you a ton, because you're improving in leaps and bounds. I think your colors have brought down some of your previous entries, so it was a smart move to acknowledge that fact by rendering this piece in grayscale. Worry about one thing at time...nail your render in grayscale, THEN start to introduce color. In my opinion, it's really the best technique, and especially so when you're first getting a feel for the digital medium. Now that you seem to have had a breakthrough in your rendering, I'm looking forward to seeing your future stuff as you look to incorporate color back into your work. As others have noted, as the pieces start falling into place for you, you could soon be wrecking the C.O.W., so good luck!

Thanks for the crits everybody. Much appreciated and will try again next round. kingrobot - I don't think I've ever laughed like that reading a thread or crits before....well done! makes me wonder what would happen if the topic was lobsters...hmmm..

Sok: Thank you SO much for the vote and the comments! I can’t believe I actually snagged one… I hope to see you in the next round, that would be great.

Redehlert: You are right on with the tail comment. That was the thing that was bothering me, so to have confirmation of it means I at least spotted it as a problem. I’ll make it darker when I get the chance and see if that pushes it back a little bit. As far as the smaller version, that’s the moon, with a halo around it, and a dreamcatcher motif reflected in the glow of the halo. I was trying to make it look a bit as if you were looking at the world with a slightly distorted perspective, sort of like you might see things through a kaleidoscope lens that refracts light (a glimpse of the dreamworld).

Kingrobot: Haha! I was going for something different, I’m always glad to help prevent breakdowns.

Uziel: I was going for that starry, misty look, so I’m glad that worked out.

"Originality oozing out of every pore... I don't know how...CA.org has made it this far without you...I...bow before the utter magnificence of your omnipotent concept and rendering skills and peerless singularity of thought." - Helzon (RIP dude)

"Originality oozing out of every pore... I don't know how...CA.org has made it this far without you...I...bow before the utter magnificence of your omnipotent concept and rendering skills and peerless singularity of thought." - Helzon (RIP dude)